Slush pump valve cover



Oct. 11, 1966 R. A. PANGBURN 3,278,070 SLUSH PUMP VALVE COVER Filed Aug.12, 1964 ISA RAYMOND A. PANGBURN INVENTOR. V 1 BY 9 FIG. 4

United States Patent 3,278,070 SLUSH PUMP VALVE CCWER Raymond A.Panghurn, R0. Box 94364, Oklahoma City, Okla. Filed Aug. 12, 1964, Ser.No. 389,003 Claims. '(Cl. 220-55) The present invention relates to pumpsand more particularly to an improved valve cover or cap for slush pumps.

The present invention is an improvement over my copending applicationfor Slush Pump Valve Cover, filed in the United States Patent OfficeJuly 27, 1964, under Serial Number 383,459.

Slush pumps of relatively large capacity are conventional equipment inoil well drilling and are used for circulating the drilling fluid. Thesepumps have generally cylindrical shaped upwardly open intake and exhaustfluid transferring bodies, commonly called valve pots which arerespectively equipped with fluid intake and exhaust valves. The valvepots must be provided with means permitting access to the valve thereinto service the valve. To accomplish this a cap or cover is usuallyprovided at the upwardly disposed end of each valve pot which is usuallyattached to the valve pot by a plurality of stud bolts or bolts andnuts. A recent improvement comprises a ring or disk-like cap which isthreadedly secured to the valve pot by a single plug member. This singlemember frequently works loose during operation of the pump resulting inmalfunction of the associated valve. Furthermore, the type of cover inwhich a plurality of bolts holds the cover in place requires time toremove and replace each cap or cover resulting in extensive shut downtime.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the invention to provide animproved replaceable valve cover or cap for a slush pump valve pot.

Another object is to provide a valve cover or cap which employs a singlebolt and nut which is connected in a novel manner with each respectivevalve pot body.

Still another object is to provide a device of this class which employsa plurality of segmental cover locking members which are wedged within arecess formed in the valve cover cap.

Yet another object is to provide a device of this class which may beconnected with existing slush pump valve pots without modificationthereof and may be incorporated in the design of valve pots to bemanufactured.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by connectinga valve cover receiving ring to the upwardly open end of a valve pot.Bolt and nut means, secured to the valve cover, cooperate with the ringin wedging cover lock members against the valve pot plug.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a conventional slush pumpillustrating, by solid lines, the relative position of one of thedevices of the present invention when installed thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a top view, to a larger scale, of the device when installedon the pump;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 33 of FIG. 2; and,

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view, to a different scale, of avalve pot, per se, modified or constructed to coact with the presentinvention.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures ofthe drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral indicates a fragment of a conventional slush pumphaving a plurality of generally cylindrical shaped bodies or valve pots,indicated at 12, respectively housing fluid intake and exhaust valves.One type of conventional removable valve pot cover or cap is indicatedat 14.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is illustrated afragment of a cylindrical valve pct 12, which has been centrally bored,as :at 11, of the type having its upwardly disposed end wall drilled, asat 16, for threadedly receiving stud bolts 18. The upper end 13 of thevalve pot is counterbored, as at 15, for receiving a packing ring 17.The thickness of the packing ring 17 is normally greater than the depthof the counterbore 15. The above describes a conventional valve pot withwhich the present invention is to be used.

A cylindrical ring member 20, diametrically substantially equal withrespect to the valve pct 12, replaces the conventional valve pot cover14. The ring 20 has a relatively thick wall defining a central bore 22of a size to freely receive a valve pot plug as hereinafter described.The wall of the ring is drilled, as at 24, for receiving the stud bolts18. Nuts 26 hold the ring 20 in place. The ring 20 is counterbored fromits downwardly disposed end, as viewed in FIG. 3, as at 28, forming adownwardly facing annular tapered shoulder 30.

A step diametered valve pot plug 40 is coaxially received by the bore 11of the valve pot. The plug 40 includes a central body portion 42 havinga circumferential wall closely received by the inner wall surface of thepack ing ring 17 and the wall forming the bore 11. The depending portionof the plug 40 is formed to define an inverted truncated cone 44. Adepending internally threaded sleeve 46 is integrally formed coaxiallyon the depending end of the cone 44, A centrally bored valve stemreceiving bushing 48 is threadedly received by the sleeve 46. The plug40 is further characterized by an upper outstanding flange-like top orhead end portion 50 diametrically slightly smaller than the ring bore 22but greater than the diameter of the packing ring 17 so that aperipheral portion of the plug head 50 overlaps a portion of the valvepot end surface 13.

A stud bolt 54 is axially connected to the upwardly disposed end of thevalve pot head 50. A plurality, preferably three, segmental wedge-shapedmembers 56 are positioned around the stud bolt 54. As shown in FIG. 3,the members 56 each have an outer end portion 58 terminating in anarcuate edge 59 complemental with but formed on a smaller radius withrespect to the radius of the counterbore 28 so that the edge 59 does notcontact the wall 28.

The lowermost surface 60 of the outer end portion 58 of each segment 56flatly contacts the upper surface 62 of the head end portion 50 of thevalve plug 40 while the lower surface of the other or inwardly directedend portion 70 of each segment is preferably positioned in spacedrelation to the surface 62 in the manner explained hereinbelow. The endportion 58 of each respective segment is provided with an upper surfaceopposite the surface 60 formed on an angle or taper 64 complemental withrespect to the tapered shoulder 30 for the purposes presently explained.

A centrally drilled substantially conical-shaped bushing 66 coaxiallysurrounds the bolt 54 and is held thereon by a nut 68. The end surfaceof the end portion 70 of each segment, opposite the outwardly disposedend 58, is arcuately curved on a radius and tapered for complementarycontacting the tapered wall surface of the bushing 66 so that when thenut 68 is tightened the wedge members 56 are forced radially outward. Afoot or support 72 is connected in depending relation to the lowersurface of the respective inwardly directed end portion 70 of eachsegment 56 to maintain the tapered surface of each segment end portionin contiguous contact with the surface of the bushing 66. Obviously thesupports 72 can be omitted by a flat face to face contact between thewedges 56 and the plug surface 62.

Operation In operation the ring is connected to the valve pot 12 asdisclosed hereinabove. The packing 17 is placed within the groove 15.The valve plug is positioned within the bore 11 on the packing 17. Thesegmental Wedge members 56 are positioned, as shown in FIG. 3, and thenut 68 is tightened against the bushing 66 wherein the Wedge surface 64contacts the tapered shoulder by the wedging action of the bushing 66against the inwardly disposed ends of the segmental members, and forcesthe segments 56 radially outward toward the counterbore wall 28. Thiscompresses the packing 17 by the contact of each wedge surface 60against the valve plug surface 62. The degree or angle of the surfacesforming the above described cooperating tapered surfaces may be variedas desired to achieve the desired wedging action of the segments 56 inforcing the valve plug flange or head 50 against the packing ring 17 insealing relation.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the numeral 12A indicates a fragment of a valvepot, identical with respect to the valve pot 12, which has been modifiedto receive the valve plug and locking members 56. The valve pot 12Aincludes the threaded stud bolt receiving holes 16A but these holes 16Aare not needed or used in this embodiment of the invention. This valvepot 12A is similarly provided with the bores 11A and 22A. The ring 20 isomitted. The wall forming the bore 22A is undercut to form a groove 28A,similar in form and in appearance with respect to the counterbore 28.The groove 28A forms a valve pot flange receiving seat or surface 13Asimilar to the surface 13 and a similar downwardly facing taperedshoulder 30A. The surface 13A is counterboredaround the bore 11A forreceiving a packing ring 17A. The valve plug 40 and locking members 56may then be installed in the valve pot 12A in a manner similar to thatdescribed hereinabove for FIGS. 2 and 3. Obviously the valve pot 12A maybe formed as described hereinabove during its manufacture for use withthe plug 44) and wedge members 56.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alterationwithout defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to beconfined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and describedherein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A valve cap for a slush pump of the type having an upwardly openvalve pot, said valve pot having a upper end surface, comprising: a ringcoaxially secured to the upwardly open end of said valve pot, said ringhaving an inner 'wall forming a downwardly facing annular shoulderadjacent its end surface opposite its connection with said valve pot; avalve plug supported by the upper end surface of said valve pot withinsaid ring; a threaded bolt and nut axially connected with said valveplug and projecting beyond the end of said ring opposite its connectionwith said valve pot; a conical bushing around said bolt; and lock meansincluding a plurality of wedgeshaped segmental members extendingradially outward from said bushing under said annular shoulder, saidsegmental members being wedged against said valve plug when said nut istightened.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1 in which said segmental members arecharacterized by an arcuate outer end surface which is spaced inwardlyfrom the inner wall of said ring and extends vertically between saidannular shoulder and the adjacent surface of said valve plug, saidsegmental members having an arcuate opposite end surface contacting aperipheral portion of said bushing.

3. A valve cap for a slush pump of the type having an upwardly openvalve pot, said valve pot having an upper end surface and having acircumferential series of threaded stud bolts and nuts connected to itsupper end surface, comprising: a ring having a thickened wall, saidthickened wall having a like series of apertures parallel with the axisof said ring for receiving said stud bolts, said ring having an inwardlyand upwardly converging annular inner wall surface forming a downwardlyfacing tapered shoulder adjacent its end surface opposite its connectionwith said valve pot; a valve plug supported within said valve pot bysaid upper end surface; a threaded bolt and nut axially connected withsaid valve plug and projecting beyond the end of said ring opposite itsconnection with said valve pot; a conical bushing around said bolt; andlock means including a plurality of wedge-shaped segmental membersextending radially from said bushing toward the inner wall of said ring,said segmental members being forced outwardly against said taperedshoulder and said valve plug when said nut is tightened.

4. A valve cap for a slush pump of the type having an upwardly openvalve pot, said valve pot having a valve plug seat formed therein andhaving an inner wall forming an annular inwardly and downwardly facingshoulder opposite said seat, comprising: a valve plug supported by saidseat; a threaded bolt and nut axially connected to said valve plug andprojecting outwardly beyond the open end of said valve pot; a conicalbushing surrounding said bolt; and lock means including a plurality ofwedge-shaped segmental members extending radially outward from saidbushing toward the inner wall of said valve pot below said annularshoulder, said segmental members forcing said valve plug against saidseat when said nut is tightened.

5. Structure as specified in claim 4 in which said segmental members arecharacterized by an arcuate outer end surface terminating in spacedrelation with respect to the inner wall of said valve pot, saidsegmental members each having an upper surface contacting said annularshoulder, said segmental members each having an arcuate opposite endsurface contacting a peripheral por tion of said bushing.

No references cited.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

J. B. MARBERT, Assistant Examiner.

1. A VALVE CAP FOR A SLUSH-PUMP OF THE TYPE HAVING AN UPWARDLY OPENVALVE POT, SAID VALVE POT HAVING A UPPER END SURFACE, COMPRISING: A RINGCOAXIALLY SECURED TO THE UPWARDLY OPEN END OF SAID VALVE POT, SAID RINGHAVING AN INNER WALL FORMING A DOWNWARDLY FACING ANNULAR SHOULDERADJACENT ITS END SURFACE OPPOSITE ITS CONNECTION WITH SAID VALVE POT; AVALVE PLUG SUPPORTED BY THE UPPER END SURFACE OF SAID VALVE POT WITHINSAID RING; A THREADED BOLT AND NUT AXIALLY CONNECTED WITH SAID VALVEPLUG AND PROJECTING BEYOND THE END OF SAID RING OPPOSITE ITS CONNECTIONWITH SAID VALVE POT; A CONICAL BUSHING AROUND SAID BOLT; AND LOCK MEANSINCLUDING A PLURALITY OF WEDGE-